Former Pak selector urges Shoaib Akhtar to call it a day

Karachi, Mar 29(ANI): Former Pakistan national selector Ehteshamuddin has urged injury plagued fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to call it a day, despite the 34-year-old declaring himself fit to play again.

Last week Akhtar took part in three one-day practice games against the Afghanistan national team, which was training in Lahore. He played only as a bowler in the first two games, and in the third game he only turned up to bowl his overs.

"I think Akhtar should announce his retirement because it's clear that his body is no longer able to support a fast bowler's workload. Akhtar as a bowler has been finished since late 2006. After that point, he has never been fit enough to play international cricket," Cricistan.com quoted Ehteshamuddin, as saying.

This is not the first time that Etheshamuddin has questioned Akhtar's fitness. Earlier, he had left the fast bowler out of Pakistan's 2007 squad to South Africa citing lack of match fitness as the reason behind his decision.

Akhtar has not featured in a five-day match for Pakistan for more than two years, and many cricket followers and scribes around the globe are asking the question "Will we ever see Shoaib Akhtar in a Pakistan shirt again?"

He had earlier said that his international career was not over and stressed that his aim is to win back his place in the Pakistan team.

"My aim and goal is to win back my place in the Pakistan team and I strongly believe that I will be back. You know things change very quickly in Pakistan cricket and I'm confident that my chance will come again," Akhtar had said.